Notre Dame football: 3 things Brian Kelly needs to do next

He Needs to Get Kyle Hamilton Help in the Secondary

Kyle Hamilton has acted as a great cover-up for a very average secondary, as players like Nick McCloud and Shaun Crawford are fine, but they can’t compete with the most talented receivers in the game. That left holes to be exploited if Hamilton wasn’t there to save the day.

Luckily, Hamilton was usually there.

Hamilton will be there again next season, but getting him help on the back end would do wonders to let him play freely and force turnovers. Like the wide receiver position, this could become a place for grad transfers to come in, but it’s more important the Kelly and new defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman find a way to develop the players already on the roster.

Players like Tariq Bracy are going to need to make a move going into 2021.

It will be interesting to see how the new staff on defense can help improve the secondary. Freeman’s Cincinnati defenses were known for having the best secondary in the Group of 5, arguably best against the country.

He’ll need to rebuild around Hamilton and prepare for going forward without him. Kelly also needs a new defensive backs coach, who will be vital in the development of this group.